Pre-season training camps and getting back into shape

It is officially the beginning of the pre-season. Teams are coming together around the globe for training camps. There have been some early training camps, but those are mostly for the sake of the press and sponsors. The camps from here on out are getting a little more serious. Today I had an early evening meeting with Hincapie Sportsware. I will be one of the mentor/coaches of the U-23 Hincapie Development squad and at the end of the week the U-23 guys are coming to Greenville for a mini version of a training camp. We’ll be handing out team products, explaining goals and aspirations of the team and having a good time for the few days that we are together. I am very much looking forward to working with the riders. It’s going to be a great year of racing and riding from a personal standpoint. I’m hoping these young pups will whip me back into shape.

As I was waiting for the meeting, the Hincapie art department was doing a photoshoot with George in the new national champion kit along with his new bike. Over the din of the cranked to maximum spaceheater I think someone said his BMC Team Machine was 15.1 pounds. Soon George will be heading to his training camp in California and other local teams will be having theirs. Team Type 1’s camp is in Georgia next month and I’ll drop by and see the guys. Another pro team that I have a weakness for is the Kenda p/b Geargrinder team. Their founder Chad Thompson is a can-do guy and has put his blood, sweat and tears into making that program work. An example of his Herculean effort is bringing Frankie Andreu onto the staff. Andreu is a stand-up guy and any organization should be proud to have him working for them. Their camp is also next month in Georgia so that gives me another reason to visit. It’s only January and my travel calendar is starting to fill up.

I’ve seen the BMC kits and they look a bit different than last year. They still look very clean and not all jumbled up with a lot of colors and crazy designs. If they let me I’ll try and post some photos.